YMCA Theatre Institute to Present THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL

Fans of the popular book series will be delighted to head over to Foxboro's Orpheum Theatre for the Hockomock Area YMCA Theatre Institute's production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. As the half-blood son of a Greek god, Percy Jackson has newly-discovered powers he can't control, a destiny he doesn't want, and a mythology textbook's worth of monsters on his trail. Adapted from the best-selling book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed mythical adventure "worthy of the gods."

The musical, performed by a cast of 16 local high school students, will take place at the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center/Orpheum Theatre Foxboro on March 25th & 26th at 7 PM. Tickets are $10 for students and $14 for adults (additional processing fees apply) and can be purchased at www.orpheum.org. Remaining tickets will also be available at the door for an extra $2 per ticket. All seating is reserved. This program is supported in part by grants from the Foxborough and Mansfield Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Students have been rehearsing together since January and are ecstatic to get back on stage in front of a live audience after nearly two years of streamed performances. "Being a part of the Theatre Institute has been the most amazing and rewarding experience," says Sharon High School sophomore Ally Braude, who plays the role of Silena. "The community is so welcoming and I always look forward to rehearsals, seeing my friends, meeting new people and learning new things, all while pursuing my passion for theatre."

"The large array of characters in The Lightning Thief gives every actor a chance to shine," explains Savannah Nosek of Franklin, a sophomore at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School who plays The Oracle and Charon. "The characters are so relatable and feel so real."

The title character of Percy Jackson is played by Mansfield High School junior, Tim Troilo. "Percy is a kid who feels like he doesn't fit in wherever he goes. During his quest he learns that he is destined for great things and he realizes he does belong," explains Troilo. "Playing Percy is one of the hardest but also one of the most rewarding things that I've gotten to do on stage. There is so much complexity to him and I want to bring that all to my performance." Troilo has been performing with the YMCA since age 6 and hopes younger students will come see the show and learn from the coming of age experiences of its characters.

The cast of The Lightning Thief includes Samantha Baker (Plainville), Gwenne Balcius (Franklin), Sam Barletta (Norfolk), Ally Braude (Sharon), Olivia Devlin (Franklin), Brigid Gilberti (Franklin), Anne Kane (Walpole), Savannah Nosek (Franklin), Andrew Olah (Franklin), Zoey Roth (Mansfield), Marissa Sabella (Mansfield), Thomas Schratz (Franklin), Zachary Schreiber (Mansfield), Mallory Simpson (Bellingham), Jordan Tavares (Mansfield), and Timothy Troilo (Mansfield).

For more information visit hockymca.org.

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